Finnish Food

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Mizu1993
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2017 3:26 pm

Finnish Food

Post by Mizu1993 » Thu Aug 31, 2017 1:46 pm

I come from middle Europe and I was in Finland a lot of times before. But I always come to this one problem: Food tastes like nothing here in Finland.
My boyfriend is finn and he complains about the same. Do you have the same problem? We live in Tampere, but no matter what we buy, mostly we cook our own to get a bit taste, it's just... blegh. It tastes like air and maybe a bit of some seasoning. I could say that I am not used to it, but since my boyfriend was born here and never left Finland and says kinda the same, isn't there something to do about it?



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007
Posts: 632
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:01 pm

Re: Finnish Food

Post by 007 » Thu Aug 31, 2017 3:45 pm

Mizu1993 wrote:I come from middle Europe and I was in Finland a lot of times before. But I always come to this one problem: Food tastes like nothing here in Finland.
My boyfriend is finn and he complains about the same. Do you have the same problem? We live in Tampere, but no matter what we buy, mostly we cook our own to get a bit taste, it's just... blegh. It tastes like air and maybe a bit of some seasoning. I could say that I am not used to it, but since my boyfriend was born here and never left Finland and says kinda the same, isn't there something to do about it?

Of course, by minding your own business. :) Seriously, there's no way to change people's habits unless they do it themselves. The way I see it, cooking your own food is the best way to go about this. Sometimes, you might be offered local foods but that's just sometimes.

Some years ago, a restaurant (mummola, I think it's a slang word for restaurants that mainly serve old houses) near my workplace and two months max I could eat the foods there.

So, unless you are offered or logistically bound to eat Finnish foods, I understand. In other cases, we should just mind our own businesses and cook at home.

Fortunately, these days, there's varieties of spices available at department stores, let alone ethnic shops. Just imagine in good old days..... :ohno:
“Go where you are celebrated – not tolerated."
"Aina, kun opit uuden sanan, opettele samalla sen monikko!"

FinnGuyHelsinki
Posts: 1439
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:52 pm

Re: Finnish Food

Post by FinnGuyHelsinki » Thu Aug 31, 2017 8:06 pm

Depends what one means by "Finnish food". Traditionally what's been available is game, fish, wild mushrooms and berries, some root vegetables, grains and wild herbs. Many of those are expensive to buy, therefore unlikely to find their way into ready-meals or 10€ lunch specials. Chilies and various spices have been widely available only the last few decades. The growing season is short, looking at the fruit section in any supermarket, save for some puny apples and strawberries during the summer, there's little else that hasn't been imported. The locally grown vegetables - grown outside a greenhouse that is - are also available only during the summer months, with the exception of root vegetables which keep better. And, obviously, olive oil isn't the go-to cooking oil since olives don't grow in Finland either.

So, there's at least some reasons as to why the ingredients in Finland don't taste the same or the same spices aren't used as somewhere else. Then again, go to any good restaurant that serves dishes made from local ingredients and then decide whether that too "tastes like nothing".

007
Posts: 632
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:01 pm

Re: Finnish Food

Post by 007 » Fri Sep 01, 2017 5:39 pm

FinnGuyHelsinki wrote:Depends what one means by "Finnish food".
Potatoes and jauheliha with some salt and pepper and kiisseli as dessert. :wink:
“Go where you are celebrated – not tolerated."
"Aina, kun opit uuden sanan, opettele samalla sen monikko!"


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